Mechanics of Emulsion Electrospun Porous Carbon Fibers as Building Blocks of Multifunctional Materials

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b10499
• Publication Date: 2018-10-12T10:44:35Z
• Authors: Yijun Chen; Jizhe Cai; James G. Boyd; William Joshua Ke...; Mohammad Naraghi
• Keywords: Polyacrylonitrile; Electrospinning

Many multifunctional composite structures incorporate porosity at various length scales to increase the available surface area of a functional component. One material system particular interest is activated or porous carbon fibers and nanofibers that can serve as structural reinforcement well providing active for added functionality. A key question in design manufacture these what degree induced pore affects mechanical properties by inducing discontinuities material. To address this problem, mechanics (CNFs) was studied first time function their structure. Hollow CNF with shell prepared coaxial electrospinning polyacrylonitrile/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend PMMA core. removed thermal decomposition during pyrolysis form pores. Solid-shell control no shell. Results show modulus strength porous-shell 19.2 ± 1.3% were 65.0 6.2 1.28 0.14 GPa respectively, 13.9 2.1% 35.5 4.9% lower than those solid-shell CNF. Finite-element analysis models developed decouple effect stress concentration reduced load-bearing CNFs on properties. The model predictions general agreement experimental results used identify most critical parameters affect load bearing nanofibers. Considering comparison modeling results, intrinsic (of solid parts) does not seem be affected pores; thus, fiber geometries might where paths are designed even less loss.